EPILOGUE

Two Years Later

I stand on the dock and throw rocks into the pond. It's a warm summer day; what used to be choosing day. My eyes well up a little as I think of how much my life has changed. This day has always been hard for me, and today is no exception.

Zeke and I just got back from a mission outside the wall. We traveled to a city called Cincinnati. It's another walled city like ours, only they never tried to control their people. They welcomed us, and we stayed for a few weeks, sharing each others history. Theirs is a lot better than ours.

With Cara's help, we were able to establish an open line of communication, and next month we will head back out, this time as an escort for those that wish to leave Chicago. We'll return with some people who want to live here. It's no surprise that Peter was the first person to sign up to leave. We've run into each other only twice, and both times ended with me punching him in the face. Perhaps he'll find a better life where he doesn't have a history.

I've been working with Will lately, adding to the history of our museum. Its most recent addition is the things we were told in Cincinnati. Seeing all of those old truths again made me wish that Tris had never experienced this life.

Tris.

She'll always be the love of my life.

There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thankful for my experiences with her. I remember our first night here. And that we got married here. And that it's possible she got pregnant here. I smirk at the memory.

I take off my shoes and wiggle my toes. The real ones and the fakes. I'm on my second foot now. Cara was able to improve on her design again. Something about a faster response time and a more scientifically accurate bone structure. Truthfully, I don't even notice a difference. I sit on the dock and put my feet in the cool water and smile. Skinny-dipping, Abnegation style.

It's hard sometimes to believe that 5 years ago I managed to jump into that net. I wouldn't change it for anything though. It sparked a love that fueled a change in our world, a change for the better, and I am so proud to be a part of that.

My thoughts change as they often do and I think back to the hospital. To Tris struggling to give birth. She wanted a baby so badly. I was afraid, so afraid, for more than one reason. And then the machine let out it's long and steady beep, and I knew. I knew it was a sign; a punishment. I was never meant to be a father. I would never escape him, and she was the price.

I hurt everything that I touch.

I hang my head and close my eyes for a moment.

"Are you going to go with us tonight?" Zeke asks as he walks up next to me.
"You know I'm not. Why do you insist on asking me every time you go?"
"You know why."
I do know.
I nod. "Maybe."
A long and drawn out "Yes," is all I hear as he runs off.

I throw another rock as I think about the day she jumped back into my life.

"What's this I hear about you going tonight?"
"I only said maybe," I say quietly.
"Maybe? That's a first."
"I know."
"I guess that means I need to find a sitter then."
"Well when you put it like that, I guess I can't go."
Tris sits down next to me and gives me a look. "Fine. Find a sitter," I say reluctantly. I look up at her. She is so beautiful.

She died just like I did.

But they brought her back. I never thought that death would be the one thing that bonded us, made us even stronger than we already were. But I understand now. Sometimes you have to be broken, completely broken, in order to heal. Tris and I were good, but we weren't fixed. Not completely. There's an old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. But death, death changes you. A piece of me died with her, and it was reborn, just like she was. We were both saved.

The pieces that are mended sometimes end up being the strongest, and we are no exception.

I smile as she wipes a stray tear from my eye and kisses me hard. She gives me a big smile back before she runs back to the group.
"He said yes!" They whoop and cheer as I plot a way to get out of going ziplining. Again. It's the one fear I haven't managed to get over, and I'm in no rush to do it.

I feel that familiar burn and I turn my head, only to be greeted by two sets of eyes. One a deep storm gray, the other so blue, they're almost black.
"Daddy!"
Tris is at the end of the dock, smiling. She sets our daughter down and she runs to me. She's the best thing to have ever happened to me; I no longer need my notebook. Her small face with her blonde curls and my eyes are all I need to pull me away from any edge. She is what keeps me together, this tiny piece of me.

"Hi, baby." I scoop her into my arms and scoot back, sitting her between my legs so her feet can go in the water too. "Happy Birthday."
I breathe on her neck quickly and she scrunches up, giggling and telling me that "I got her sugars."
"I love you, Evy."
"I wuv you, daddy."
I kiss her on top of her head and turn back to the end of the dock. Tris is busy with the party again, but she gives me a quick glance and a wink, and my heart beats just a little faster.

This day is significant for a lot of reasons. Change. Fear. Love. Death. Birth. Salvation. Every single one of them has shaped me into the man I am today, and I am grateful for every single one of them.

A/N:

Well, this is the end. For reals. I hope you like what I did. : )

I do want to give you all a big thank you for being supportive. This was my first venture out into this, and you made it a lot less scary. I appreciate every single review and every single follow. You guys are awesome.

And I do have some more ideas floating around in this brain of mine, but I need a break! This was a big task! Plus, I don't want to repeat this story in any way, so I need it to float off for a while before I dive into another one.

Although I didn't mean to, I did leave an opening for a sequel though, so, you never know!

Again, many, many many thanks. Your reviews make my day, and I would really like to know what you guys thought. I'll see you all around in the near future!